Many known buffer seals include urethane rings having rectangular or near rectangular cross-sectional shapes for providing bi-directional sealing. These buffer seals have a tendency to trap hydraulic fluid or oil between themselves and adjacent sealing rings. This trapped fluid or oil at times reaches pressure levels that are sufficient to damage both the buffer seal and the adjacent seals. Other known buffer seals use backup non-extrusion rings in a groove behind the sealing surface but the sealing surface of these known buffer seals tend to extrude into the area between the backup ring and the shaft being sealed. Many other seals having backup rings have been use to provide sealing between a seal and a shaft without the use of buffer seals. These known seals, when used without a buffer seal, are normally rather bulky in size when being used in high pressure applications and normally have large surfaces that are exposed to the high pressure to obtain pressure activation of the sealing surface. If the pressure activation force becomes to high the oil film on the shaft is forced away and the shaft and/or seal becomes worn due to the frictional interference therebetween.
The subject invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.